Before the start of last season, the Montreal Canadiens had won five consecutive games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they kept that streak going with a couple of wins over the Ohio outfit early in the season. Montreal won the first two games, one in each venue, and outscored the opponent 13-9 in the three-game season series.
Though the Canadiens were lucky to face Columbus early in the season, as the Jackets were reeling from the unexpected loss of star player Johnny Gaudreau and struggled to make up for his absence, the speedy winger was a huge part of their attack and had always had success against Montreal, scoring six goals and adding 17 assists for 23 points in 25 games. Besides the offensive output, though, Gaudreau was a dynamo for the Jackets, and his loss had a significant impact on their whole team, but especially for former Canadiens’ Sean Monahan, who had signed with the team to get to play with his close friend again.
Canadiens: The Capitals Were A Tall Order
Canadiens Legend Not On NHL Network's Quarter Century Team
NHL Fans Have Mixed Expectations For Canadiens In 2025-26
A month into the season, the two teams met for the first time, and the Canadiens were dominant at the Bell Center. Montreal had a 30-26 edge in shots and scored a 5-1 win on the back of a pair of assists from Cole Caufield, who had changed his number to 13 to honour his fallen idol before the start of the season. The visitors did shoot themselves in the foot, however, with 18 giveaways. Mike Matheson and Joel Armia also had a pair of points in the win.
Less than two weeks later, the two sides met again, this time in Columbus, and the hosts played much better in a 4-3 OT loss. That time, it was Juraj Slafkovsky who led the charge with two points, but Caufield did have a goal while Nick Suzuki scored the overtime winner less than a minute into the extra frame. Emil Heineman also had a lamplighter in the win.
The final duel came on December 23, and the Jackets were finally able to beat the Canadiens in Columbus, with the cannon firing five times thanks to a 5-4 win. Monahan, Kiril Marchenko, and Zach Werenski all had three points. It was another good night for Caufield as he recorded two points once again. The Canadiens had a 4-3 lead 20 seconds into the final frame, but they were unable to hang on for the win, with Dimitri Voronkov and Kiril Marchenko scoring in the third.
The Canadiens' top players against Columbus were Caufield with five points, Jake Evans with four, and Suzuki with three points, which also included two game-winning goals. Meanwhile, for the Jackets, it was offensive defenseman Zach Werenski who led the team with six points, followed by Monahan and Marchenko, who both had three.
This offseason, the Jackets’ most significant move was a trade with the Colorado Avalanche in which they acquired Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle in return for Gavin Brinley and a couple of draft picks. While they won’t be top-six players, they do give the Jackets enviable depth up front. They also signed Isac Lundestrom as a free agent and re-signed Dante Fabro and Ivan Provorov.
The Jackets failed to make the playoffs last season, but they were only eliminated when the Canadiens won the last game of their season. Columbus' near-successful push to the playoffs was led by goaltender Jet Greaves, who was simply outstanding in the sequence, outplaying Elvis Merzlikins. If the youngster comes back in that kind of form, the Jackets could be much tougher to take on and beat. He was on duty when the Jackets finally beat Montreal in their final head-to-head meeting.
The big story between the two teams, however, was Patrik Laine speaking to the media ahead of the December 23rd tilt and explaining why he had requested a trade away from Columbus. Needless to say, his former teammates did not appreciate what he had to say and used his declaration as motivation. The big Finn was chased all around the ice and mercilessly hit by his former teammates and booed by the crowd, exiting the game after the first period. The physical punishment he received might have taught him a few things about what should and shouldn’t be shared with the media, but chances are he’ll be highly motivated when he takes on his former team this season.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.